Documentation & Setup Guides

Launch with clear product documentation, not guesswork.

Find the right setup path for The Stay Manager Lite/Core, Pro, the Stay Manager Theme and the Customer Portal. Use this page for installation guidance, feature setup, shortcodes, Elementor workflows, licensing help and troubleshooting.

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Free/Core setup Pro workflows Theme guidance License support

Choose your product path

Start with the documentation that matches your setup.

Each customer may enter The Stay Manager from a different point: a free Free/Core installation, a Pro plan, the theme, or the Customer Portal.

Free start

The Stay Manager Lite/Core

Install Lite, create the required pages, add your first accommodation listing and test the enquiry or quote flow before going live.

  • Free/Core installation
  • Property setup
  • Public listing pages
  • Quote request workflow
Open Free/Core Page →
Growth setup

AM Accommodation Manager Add-ons / Pro Bundle

Set up add-on / Pro Bundle licensing, feature entitlements, payments, deposits, reports and the operational tools needed for growing accommodation businesses.

  • License activation
  • Feature entitlements
  • Payments & deposits
  • Reports & operations
View Add-ons →
Website design

The Stay Manager Theme

Use the Elementor-friendly theme as the visual foundation for a polished direct-booking website with editable hospitality pages.

  • Theme installation
  • Starter pages
  • Elementor containers
  • Booking shortcodes
View Theme →
Customer access

Customer Portal

Use the portal for product downloads, license keys, authorised domains, support tickets and account-specific customer resources.

  • Downloads
  • License keys
  • Support tickets
  • Account access
Open Portal →

Setup playbook

A practical launch order for accommodation websites.

Use this sequence to avoid the most common setup problems: missing pages, incomplete rates, untested quote forms or unclear launch steps.

01

Prepare WordPress

Confirm WordPress, WooCommerce if required, Elementor if you are using the theme, permalink settings and your preferred public page structure.

02

Install products

Install Free/Core plus any premium add-ons, activate the theme if needed, then confirm that the required admin menus, shortcodes and public pages are available.

03

Create accommodation content

Add properties, accommodation types, descriptions, gallery images, amenities, policies, services and location information.

04

Configure pricing and availability

Add seasons, rates, adult and child pricing, minimum stays, unavailable dates and any booking rules needed before launch.

05

Test guest workflow

Run a full guest journey from listing page to availability, quote request, booking/payment flow and customer communication.

06

Launch and support

Connect your license, check updates, publish the live pages, and use the portal or contact page if you need assistance.

Documentation index

Browse help by feature area.

These topic areas map to the parts of a real accommodation booking website: setup, content, pricing, availability, payments, operations and support.

01

Installation & Updates

Install Free/Core, add-on / Pro Bundle and theme packages safely, then understand updates and product version checks.

 02

Pages & Shortcodes

Create listing, detail, quote, download, documentation and portal pages using the correct shortcodes or widgets.

 03

Properties & Accommodation

Build your property structure with rooms, units, cottages, villas, full-property rentals and public listing content.

 04

Images, Amenities & Policies

Prepare photo galleries, amenities, services, policies, disclaimers and guest-facing content that supports bookings.

 05

Seasons, Rates & Rules

Set seasonal date ranges, adult rates, child rates, minimum stays and pricing rules for accurate quote requests.

 06

Availability & Quote Testing

Block dates, test availability results and confirm the quote/booking workflow before publishing the site.

 07

Payments & Deposits

Understand premium payment requests, deposits, subscription access and how payment workflows fit into the booking process.

 08

Reports & Operations

Use premium reporting, exports, guest operations, housekeeping and maintenance features as your business grows.

 09

Theme & Elementor

Use the Stay Manager Theme with Elementor containers, page sections, image areas, CTA blocks and booking widgets.

 10

Troubleshooting

Solve common problems with blank pages, shortcodes, permissions, cache, styling, mobile layouts and missing features.

 11

Licensing & Downloads

Manage license keys, authorised domains, downloads, product access and support routes through the Customer Portal.

 12

Launch Checklist

Review the final pre-launch items before taking the site live and inviting guests to enquire or book directly.

Help centre

Search the documentation library.

The live documentation library is powered by the Stay Manager Portal documentation system when the portal plugin is active. If the portal documentation shortcode is available, it will appear below inside this styled documentation area.

The Stay Manager Help Centre

Find setup guides, product documentation, shortcode help, and troubleshooting articles for The Stay Manager users.

Getting Started

Install Accommodation Booking Manager and understand the basic workflow.

Installing the plugin

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to install and activate Accommodation Booking Manager on a WordPress website.

Properties

Create and manage properties, rental mode, location, images, services and policies.

Creating your first property

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to add the main property record that accommodation options, rates and availability will link to.

Understanding rental modes

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

Explains when to use a multi-accommodation property versus a full-property rental setup.

Accommodation Options

Add rooms, units, villas and other accommodation options linked to a property.

Adding accommodation options

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to add rooms, units, cottages, villas or accommodation types under a property.

Accommodation detail pages

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How accommodation detail pages work and how accommodation-specific images are displayed.

Seasons & Rates

Set seasonal date ranges, base rates, adult/child rates and minimum-stay rules.

Creating seasons

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to create date ranges such as low season, high season, peak season or special periods.

Adding rates

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to add pricing rules linked to properties, accommodation options and seasons.

Availability & QA

Block unavailable dates, use the timeline calendar and run availability checks.

Using the timeline calendar

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to use the timeline calendar to review availability, blocks and enquiries visually.

Running the QA Check

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

Use the QA Check before launch or after changing rates and availability.

Public Pages & Shortcodes

Display listings, stay detail pages, availability search, quote requests and quote views.

Main shortcodes

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

The main shortcodes used to display Accommodation Booking Manager features on your website.

Creating the public pages

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

Recommended WordPress pages to create for a public accommodation website.

Elementor Widgets

Use the optional Elementor widgets included with Accommodation Booking Manager.

Using Elementor widgets

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

How to use the included Elementor widgets when Elementor is active.

Enquiries & Quotes

Manage enquiry and quote-request workflows in the free version.

Media & Galleries

Add hero images, gallery images, accommodation images and use the carousel/lightbox gallery.

Image recommendations

Accommodation Booking Manager Free

Recommended image practices for accommodation listings and detail pages.

Troubleshooting

Solve common setup, display, shortcode, permission and availability problems.

Free vs Pro

Understand what is included in the free version and what is planned for Pro/PMS editions.

Need more than a guide?

Move from documentation to the right support path.

Some questions are solved by a setup guide. Others need a demo, product comparison, license check or support request. Use these paths to get to the right place quickly.

Book a Demo Contact Support

Products

Compare Free/Core, add-ons, Pro Bundle and theme options before choosing the right setup path.

Open →

Pricing

Choose the add-ons or Pro Bundle that fit the business.

Open →

Themes

Review the Stay Manager Theme and its Elementor-ready page structure.

Open →

Book a Demo

Request a guided walkthrough before committing to a setup route.

Open →

FAQ

Documentation questions.

These quick answers help users decide where to start and when to use the portal, demo or contact route.

Should documentation be public or only inside the Customer Portal?

Public documentation helps new visitors understand the product and helps customers find setup guidance quickly. Account-specific downloads, licenses and tickets still belong inside the Customer Portal.

Where should a new customer start?

Start with installation, required pages, properties, accommodation types, seasons and rates, then test the quote or booking workflow before publishing.

Is Free/Core enough to launch a simple site?

Free/Core is designed as the starting point for a direct-booking website with unlimited properties. Add-ons or the Pro Bundle are better when the business needs payment workflows, reporting, channel sync, operations or advanced growth features.

Does the theme replace Elementor?

No. The Stay Manager Theme is designed to work with Elementor-friendly layouts. Elementor can still be used for editable containers, images, headings, buttons and page sections.

Where do I get help with a license or download?

Use the Customer Portal for downloads, license keys, domain activations and customer support tickets linked to your account.